Evangelization

Bolivia's Church of the Immaculate Conception

The Jesuit church of Concepcion dominates the town's cobblestone main square. Its orange and yellow images of saints and ornate flower designs painted on the facade glow in the full splendour of 18th century architecture. On a starry night, recalling the days of Jesuit evangelisation a few centuries ago, a sonata for double violin by Domenico Zipoli resonates inside the huge church. A baroque ensemble of young players is serenading international visitors who have come to this remote Bolivian jungle town of almost 19,000 inhabitants to learn what makes the Chiquitania so unique. Here we can feel transported to 350 or 400 years ago, because people in these missions still maintain their original culture. Geovani Gisler Brazilian delegate, Until their expulsion in 1767, Jesuit missionaries spent almost 80 years converting the local indigenous people to Christianity. They also established missions in what is now Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. But whereas the churches in neighbouring countries are just ruins today, the missions in Bolivia have preserved the Jesuit cultural and artistic living legacy. In 1990, six of these missions were declared worthy of protection by the United Nations' cultural organisation, Unesco.

Link (here) to read the full story at the BBC

Problems In Bolivia

Evo Morales described the Catholic Church as an "enemy of peace" in Bolivia and demanded for his country

"another faith, another religion and another church."

President Morales plainly declared that the Catholic Church was his greatest enemy in the reform of the country and literally stated "We must replace it!"

Link (here) Jesuits in Bolivia (here) , (here) and (here)

Fr. Xavier Albo S.J. on Evo Morales (here)

Fr. Mauricio Bacardit, S.J, on Evo Morales (here)

A 300 Year Jesuit Sucess Story: Bolivia

I found this on a travel website called Ruta Verde. Lots of good commentary and loads of pictures.

Jesuit Missions in Bolivia
The Chiquitania receives its name from the native inhabitants of this area, the chiquitos or chiquitanos. In this place Jesuit Missions were settled in the second half of the XVII century (from 1691 until 1760). They remain in time as an extraordinary legacy because they are the only Jesuit missions in South America which were not destroyed after the Jesuits were expulsed from the Spanish colonies. They are not ruins but villages full of life, with people who still go to mass in the same majestic churches or to enjoy the same baroque music concerts, in the same way they used to do when the Jesuit ruled these missions three centuries ago.

The following are the Missions we visit in our Jesuit route:

San Javier

The baroque style church (built between 1749 y 1752, and restored between1987 and 1993) is part of the first Jesuit mission in Chiquitos founded in 1691. The edification invites to enjoy the artistic beauty of its architecture with carved ornaments in the columns and drawings in wood with yellow brown and black colors.

Concepción

It has a Jesuit baroque style church built between 1752 and 1753, restored and reopened in1982. It is built with 3 main structures, row of columns carved in wood, altars and paintings made by the local native people. This church is considered as the jewel of the region, watching it at sunset is an unforgettable view.

San Ignacio

The baroque style church (built between 1749 y 1752, and restored between1987 and 1993) is part of the first Jesuit mission in Chiquitos founded in 1691. The edification invites to enjoy the artistic beauty of its architecture with carved ornaments in the columns and drawings in wood with yellow brown and black colors.

San Ana

Santa Ana de Velasco, founded in 1755, was founded by one individual, the Jesuit missionary Fr. Julián Nogler. It is also the only settlement that has its complete original church still intact. The church was built after the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767. Santa Ana is a quiet little town with barely 280 souls and with a timeless feel to it.

San Miguel

San Miguel was founded in 1721 and is a small town, with less than 5,000 inhabitants. Like its sister communities of Santa Ana and San Rafael, San Miguel is a quiet spot where time seems to have stood still for the past three centuries. Its church is considered the most historically accurate of all the restored Jesuit churches.

San Rafael

San Rafael, the second oldest mission settlement, was established in 1696. Translated once in 1701 and again in 1750, it shares many of the same characteristics that nearby Santa Ana de Velasco and San Miguel de Velasco possess: a timeless charm, tranquil lifestyle, and fidelity to its Jesuit-inspired traditions.

San José

San José de Chiquitos, the third-oldest Jesuit mission in the Chiquitania, was founded in 1696. It is one of only four missions that has retained its original location. The town is quite peaceful, much like what Santa Cruz was fifty years ago: wide, dusty streets straight out of a Hollywood western movie, complete with cowboys, ranchers, and a dusty but charming main square.

Link to Ruta Verde (here)

Photo is of the Concepcion Mission

More (here) , (here) and (here)